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Men's college basketball opening night winners and losers: Gonzaga makes early statement

Khalif Battle couldn’t believe how open he was.

He’d just hit step-back and catch-and-shoot 3-pointers on Gonzaga’s previous two possessions, yet here he was alone in the corner with no defender within 15 feet of him after Baylor lost him in transition.

The 3-pointer that Battle celebrated with a smile and a shoulder shimmy epitomized a Gonzaga victory that turned out to be a lot easier than expected. The Zags stormed to their largest-ever victory over a top-10 opponent, a 101-63 season-opening shellacking of eighth-ranked Baylor on Monday night at Spokane Arena.

Gonzaga’s lead was already double digits midway through the first half and 19 by halftime.